Cigar and cigarette lighter



May 1, 1951 R. R. ERA-rico CIGAR AND CIGARETTE LIGHTER Filed July 25,1949 FIG.2. l' 56 6. v lill Z A :lill`= *.IIIIIIII,

JNVENTOR. ROSE R. ERATICO ATTORNEY Patented May 1, 1951 UNITED. STATESPATENT OFFICE yCIGAR AND CIGARETTE LIGHTER Rose R.. Eratico, Long IslandICity, N. Y.

Application July 25, 1949, Serial No. 106,615

` This invention relates to cigar and cigarette lighters, and moreparticularly to lighters having a Wick.

An object of the present invention is to provide a cigar and cigarettelighter, which when lit gives a ame burning for a considerable length oftime, so that the lighter may be conveniently passed around from personto person for lighting cigars or cigarettes.

' Another object of the present invention is to improve on theconstruction of cigar and cigarette lighters as now ordinarily made.

Other objectsand structural details of the invention lwillbe apparentfrom the following description when read in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings forming part of this specification, wherein:

Fig. 1 is an exploded view, partly in section, of parts of a lighteraccording to the invention, and

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of a lighter according to theinvention.

Referring now to the drawings, I8 indicates a base container having anaperture I2 in its neck portion I4.

A casing I6 being open at its upper end and having a series of bores I8at its closed lower end is inserted through said aperture I2 into thecontainer I8. A flange I9 arranged at the upper end of the casing I6 isseated on a gasket 28 resting' on the upper edge of the neck portion I4of the container I8.

A barrel-shaped housing 22 closed at its upper end and open at its lowerend is snugly inserted into thepcasing I6, a bulge 24 of said housingresting on the upper edge of the casing I6. The housing 22 has an outletor passage 26, at its upper end. The upper end of a wick 28 is threadedthrough and projects from said passage 26. The housing 22 carries alighter mechf anism 38, which may be of standard construction includinga friction wheel 32 for cooperation with a spring-loaded flint 34.

A body 36 comprising material capable of capillary attraction isinserted into the hollow housing 22, thelower end of said bodyprojecting from the lower end of said housing and extending into theinterior of the casing I6. In the embodiment shown in the drawing, saidbody 38 is in the shape of a wick being of larger cross-section than thewick 28. The wick 36 is composed of a plurality of thin wicks 38 packedtogether in a wrapper 48 of felt closed by a seam 42. The wick 28extends lengthwise through the large wick 3 6. The lower end of the wick28 projects from the lower end of the large wick 36 and rests 55 tainerI6.

on the bottom of the casing I6.

, 7 Claims. ('Cl. 67-4.1)

A fastening cap 44 having a bore 46 engaged with the housing 22 isscrewed on a threaded portion of the neck I4 of the container I6 wherebythe housing-casing assembly 22, I6 is held in position. A gasket 48 isplaced between the cap and the flange I9 of the casing I6. When the cap44 is tightened on the neck I4, the container I8 is perfectly sealed bythe gaskets 28 and 48 placed on either side of the flange I9 of thecasing I6.

A cylindrical covering cap 49 having a tapered upper end snugly fits onthe cylindrical upper portion of the housing 22 projecting from the basecontainer I8. The lower edge of the cap 49 covering the friction wheel32 and the upper end of the wick 28 rests on the upper surface of thefastening cap 44.

A closing member 58 having a cavity 52 for receiving spare flints 54 isinserted into and rigidly connected with the open tapered end of thecovering cap 49. A top element 56 may be screwed on said closing member58 for coverin the cavity 52 of the latter.

The operation of the lighter is as follows:

In order toV make the lighter ready for use, the covering cap is removedfrom the housing 22 and the fastening cap 44 is unscrewed, whereupon theentire unit 22, I6 may be removed from the base container I8. Now, asupply of liquid fuel, for example so called lighter fluid, may be lledinto the container through the aperture I2. After reinsertion of theunit 22, I6 and tightening of the fastening cap 44 on the neck I4 of thecontainer I8 the lighter is ready for use. The tight seal by the gaskets28 and 48 prevents undesired evaporation of the fuel in the basecontainer I8.

As the interior of the casing I6 communicates with the interior of thecontainer I8 through the bores I8, liquid fuel held by the container I8will enter the casing I6, so that the lower ends of the large Wick 36and the thin wick 28 are immersed into liquid fuel. Thus, the wicks 36and 28 are saturated with fuel, and the fuel is brought to the upper endof the wick 28 from the supply in the container I8 by capillaryattraction. Y

When, after removal of the covering cap 49 the lighter is lit by arotation of the friction wheel 32 cooperating with the flint 34, thelighter will burn for a long time with a good flame at the upper end ofthe wick 28. Fuel consumed in the wick 28 by the burning flame will becontinuously replaced by capillary attraction of fresh `fuel from thesupply of fuel in the con- Thus, the lighter, once lit, may beconveniently used by many persons, one after i 3 the other. After use,the flame may be readily extinguished by placing the covering cap 49back on the housing 22. As only little food is consumed when the lighteris used for lighting cigarettes or cigars, one filling of the lightermay last for many months.

I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention, but it isunderstood that this disclosure is for the purpose of illustration andthat various omissions or changes in shape, proportion and arrangementof parts, as well as the substitution of equivalent elements for those,herein shown and described, may be made without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

For example, the housing-casing Yassembly could be replaced by a singlehollow unit, which, for example, may have a detachable screw cap at itslower end permitting the insertion of the wicks.

Moreover, the large wick composed of a plurality of thin wicks packedtogether in a wrapper of felt could be replaced by a wick of diierentconstruction.

Furthermore, the lower end of the thin wick must not necessarily projectfrom the lower end of the large wick.

Moreover, the lighter mechanism for lighting the wick could be ofdifferent construction.

I claim:

1. A cigar and cigarette lighter comprising: a base container capable ofreceiving a supply of liquid fuel, a neck portion on said containerhaving an aperture, a casing in said container, said casing being openat its upper end and having at least one bore at its lower end, theinterior of said casing communicating with the interior of saidcontainer through said bore, the upper end of said casing being receivedby said aperture of the neck portion of said container, a flange on theupper end of said casing carried by the edge of said neckporti'on, abarrel-shaped housing inserted into the open end of said casing, saidVhousing being open at its lower end extending into said casing andhaving a passage at its upper end projecting from said casing, a lightermechanism carried by said housing, a fastening element engaged with saidcasing-housing assembly detachably mounted on said container for holdingsaid assembly in position, a member comprising material' capable ofcapillary attraction inserted'into said housing and projecting from thelower end thereof into the interiorY of said casing, and a wick, saidwick passing through the material of said member, the upper end of saidwick being threaded through and projecting from said passage of thehousing.

2. A cigar and cigarette lighter comprising: a base container capable ofreceiving a supply of liquid fuel, a neck portion on said containerhaving an aperture, a casing in said container, said casing being openat its upper end and having at least one bore Yat its lower end, theinterior of said casing communicating with the interior of saidcontainer through .said bore, the upper end of said casing beingreceived by said aperture of the neck portion of said container, aiiange on the upper end of said casing carried by the edge of said neckportion, a barrel-shaped housing inserted into the open end of saidcasing, said housing being open at its lower end extending into saidcasing and having a passage at its upper end projecting from saidcasing, a lighter mechanism carried by said housing, a fastening elementengaged with said casing-housing assembly detachably mounted on saidcontainer for holding said assembly in position, a member comprisingmaterial capable of capillary attraction inserted into said housing andprojecting from the lower end thereof into the interior of said casing,and a wick, said Wick passing through the material of said member, theupper end of said wick being threaded through and projecting from saidpassage of the housing, and the lower end of said wick projecting fromthe lower end .of said member into the interior of said casing.

.3. In a cigar and cigarette lighter as claimed in claim 1, saidfastening element being in the shape of a cap having a bore engaged withsaid housing, a iirst gasket being placed between the flange of saidcasing and the upper edge of said neck portion of the container, and asecond gasket being placed between said flange of the casing and saidcap.

4. A tank for liquid fuel having an aperture on top, a hollow wickenclosure structure open on top supported by, and extend-ing throughsaid aperture to the interior of, said tank, and immersed in the liquidthereof, Vbut having its lower end spaced from the tank bottom andhaving passages for intercommunication with the interior of said tank, aspark mechanism, a hollow spark mechanism carrier mounted in saidstructure and protruding upwardly therefrom, a wick disposed inside saidcarrier and said structure .and having a portion extending adjacent saidspark mechanism, and means Vfor removably securing said structure andsaid carrier to said tank.

5. In a lighter as claimed in claim 4, said wick enclosure structurebeing closed at the bottom.

6. In a lighter as claimed in claim 4, said wick comprising a capillaryaction material, an envelope surrounding said. material, said wickportion being longitudinal and enclosed by said material throughout itslength and extending above and below the minimum level of said liquid.

'7. In a lighter as claimed in claim 4, together with, said wick beingcomposed of a plurality of wick strands to form a unitary body, saidwick portion being constituted by one of said strands disposed withinsaid bodyV and extending upwardly thereof. Y

- ROSE R. ERATICO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,480,139 Keene Aug. 30, 1949FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 318,274 Germany Jan. 19, 1920566,296 Great Britain Mar. 29, 1944

